sussex2 wrote:You say your relatives are elderly.
I wonder if introducing them to modern technology may be a mistake. It may be hard for them to adjust to it.
Would it not be better to buy a 'normal' automatic at a reasonable price and put up with higher road tax.
They have also been used to a small car and newer cars, even the likes of the 500 are big by comparison (hard to see the corners?).
I could suggest something along the lines of a Citroen Nemo Multispace (comes in Peugeot and Fiat versions as well) if they want to sit higher. The cars come with an auto options though what type I'm not sure.
You raise a good point there. Having driven manuals for 48 years, I struggle with any kind of auto. I go for the cluch in stop start traffic, and generally feel that the car's controling me. If I get an older driver who has not driven an auto before asking for advice on driving an auto, I ask why they want one when they have been driving a manual for however many years. The reason is quite often that they worry about using the clutch because the clutch on their old car is now feeling heavy as they are getting older. My advice is to try the different types available but not to be pressured by the salesman who will probably tell them that an auto is much easier to drive, and make their mind up on their experience. I also point out that many small modern manual cars have very light controls. The other, and I think very important point, is muscle memory. What is going to happen in an emergency? Unless a driver is used to driving many different types of cars, they will revert to what they are familiar with.
Nigel.